The Love We Think We Deserve
by beccaaalauren
Summary: What happens when CEO Edward Cullen and an assistant, Bella Swan find each other in a forbidden love? Edward's sister Alice is Bella's only true friend and after a year of crazy happenings, Bella's forced to move on with life but she keeps being pulled back into the life she's trying to abandon. Alice and Bella's friendship become rocky, and Bella doesn't know what to do anymore.
1. Chapter 1

_Dearest friends, family, associates,_

_You are cordially invited to _

_Cullen Inc.'s Annual Banquet_

_Saturday, September 22__nd__ 2012_

_6 PM_

_Hotel 1000_

_Cullen Inc. Executives_

To say I was surprised to receive this invitation would be an understatement. I looked at the fine print on what was clearly an expensive parchment, flipping it over to make sure there was no other message. I was hoping to see a "just kidding" or "this was a mistake" written on the back but I couldn't find one. I had really been invited, unless, he had sent them months in advance. That was probably it. I scolded myself for thinking just for a second he would actually want me there. _Of course he doesn't._ I thought to myself. I shook the other thoughts that followed into my mind and set the invitation down on the kitchen counter of my tiny apartment. I take a look around me, and my surroundings.

The tiny kitchen was merely big enough for one person to get in there. The appliances weren't that great, either. An updated stove, after my old one had nearly lit the entire building on fire, and an older dishwasher machine. I was thankful for that seeing as I am no friend of dish washing myself. The refrigerator wasn't anything special. I had a toaster, for the only food items I could make myself. There was a coffee pot, probably the most expensive thing I owned for the coffee addict I was. I had some pots and pans in the cabinet space, a dining set, some cups and silverware. The counter tops were knock-off marble, and the plain wooden table and chairs in the space between my kitchen and living completed the look of 'boring' that emanate from my apartment.

I continued to glance over at my living room, although not much living could be done in there because it was so small. It was big enough for me though. I had one small loveseat, a plain grey color, a matching sofa with throw pillows and blankets covering it, and a small glass coffee table, which was inhabited by books and papers. I hadn't bothered with a television. I never watched it, nor did company come over often. There was a small one in my bedroom, but only for noise purposes. The rest of my apartment was just as small and dull. I didn't spend much time here, and there was nothing personalized about it.

I sighed. I was finally having a halfway decent day until that damn invitation showed up. I worked at the small bookstore down the way. After what happened in the recent year, I settled for a job with no complications or distractions. Sure, working the cash register from 8-3 wasn't my dream job but it paid the bills.

I picked up my phone; there was only one person I wanted to speak to.

"Hello?" An unfamiliar voice said on the other line.

"Um, hi." I said, unsure if I maybe dialed the wrong number.

"Lookin' for Alice?" I could now tell the voice on the other end was deep, and southern. Strange to my ears, and I wondered how Alice could have ever picked up a southern boy. They were not her type.

"Um, yes." I spoke. Surprise still lingered in my voice.

"Hold up." He said, and then I heard some shuffling and muffled voices.

"Bella! Hi!" I heard Alice's voice. I let out a sigh of relief, not sure why though. Then I scolded her over the phone.

"Alice, who was that?" I demanded. I was like a mother hen to Alice. She always got into trouble and it was my unspoken job to make sure she was safe and thinking clearly.

"Oh, Bella, you worry too much! He's just this guy I met. Isn't he sweet?" I knew the look she had on her face, having seen it about a thousand times before. She was "in love".

"Well, I don't know Alice. I've never met him. When did _you_ meet him?" I questioned. "Don't tell me last night or this morning. Alice, how many times do I have to tell you to stop being so irresponsible with these men you find. Apparently-"

"Bella, calm down. I met him a few weeks ago actually…" She admitted.

"A few weeks ago? And you're only telling me now?" I was confused. I admit I was hurt. She always told me everything right away. Good or bad, no matter who or when it was.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry. It was so hard to keep quiet but when I met him it was like something totally different. I didn't want to ruin it or jinx it. He's amazing, Elle." Elle was my nickname Alice only used when she thinks she's in trouble or she's sad. This time I'm not sure why she was using it, seeing as how she was neither in trouble or sad.

"You thought I would have jinxed it? Or ruin it for you?" Again, I was hurt.

"No! Gosh, no. I just wanted to keep him to myself. I wanted to do things differently this time."

"Oh, ok." I couldn't argue with that. I kept a lot to myself, even when Alice was always so open and honest.

"Have you talked to him?" She asked. I knew whom she was talking about.

"Alice, no. Don't start." I retorted.

"Isabella Swan. You cannot ignore him forever." She was scolding at me now, I could tell.

"I'm not _ignoring_ him. That would require him trying to contact me, which he hasn't. Although, I'm sure you've been trying to get him to. You can't control your brother, Alice. He's a grown man." I sighed. Alice was always trying to meddle in my life, and her brothers. She has a special talent of manipulation and gossiping.

"Well then he should act like a grown man." She snapped. She was mad now.

"Maybe…" I didn't completely agree with Alice on this subject matter but I wasn't about to fight about it. "I got an invitation."

"You got it? Good!" Alice was excited now.

"What? You sent it?" I was confused now. Despite Alice's last name being on the company header, she wanted nothing to do with the company.

"Of course, silly. I still can go to their functions, you know." Of course, I should've known.

"Alice, I'm not going. No way in hell." And that was true. There's no way I could face him, or anyone else for that matter.

"You have to! I have to. It would give you two a chance to talk." She was whining, what she did to get her way.

"No." I said, firmly. "There's nothing to talk about and I don't want to go. How humiliating would that be. Think of everything that will be there. I can already see it now, everyone whispering about me. No. No way."

"You can't be afraid of what those people think. They don't matter. Come on! I need you there. I'll just die without you there with me. Please, please, please!" She begged. I could already tell I was losing this battle. You don't say no to Alice Cullen.

"I will…consider it. Ok?" I was already dreading this. Why would she do this to me? I shook my head.

"Yay!" She was so happy. It tore at my heart to think of letting her down. "I have to go now Elle. His name is Jasper, by the way." She informed.

"Jasper." I repeated. It was such an odd name for a southern boy. But I didn't argue. "Ok. Goodnight, Alice."

"Bye, Bella!" She hung up.

I flopped down onto my love seat. I was exhausted. Thoughts of _him_ came into my mind as I drifted off…of the day we first met. The day where it all began…


	2. Chapter 2

"Isabella Swan?" A tall, skinny man stood at the entrance of the waiting room of Cullen Inc. He was very tan with short blond hair. He looked very young. Too young, like myself. He looked out of place even in his black standard suit.

I got up quickly, grabbing my bag and walked toward this man. "That's me." I told him. He stuck out his hand and offered it to me.

"Mike Newton." His voice was shy but firm. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your new desk." I followed him through thick wooden doors. The whole building was high tech, and covered with windows and wood. Past the doors I had been staring at for the past twenty minutes, was a very big white room. With rows of desks and offices lined against the walls. We were on the top floor, and the ceiling was very high up, at least 30 feet. There was a skylight. Even though it was a simple space, with offices and desks, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Which was no surprise, yet there I was, surprised.

"Wow…"I breathed. At that point I had noticed we stopped walking while I take everything in. Also, that Mr. Newton was staring at me.

"It is quite incredible…Cullen has done himself good." He stated. He looked around himself, like he wasn't used to the beautiful architecture.

"Yes…well, where is my desk?" I asked breaking the reverie we were in.

"Oh right, it's over here." He continued the journey to my desk. It was glass on white legs. There was a silver laptop waiting on top with a phone next to it. And a bunch of papers and folders stacked neatly on one side of the desk. "I'm sure someone filled you in on the duties you'll be preforming here. Mr. Cullen is very strict on how he likes his work done. You won't be his personal assistant, as Jessica Stanley is his. But you'll report to her, or Mr. Cullen if needed. Otherwise, you're Emmett McCarty's assistant. Anything he wants, you get. The other assistants assist other employers. As you know Mr. McCarty is the Vice President of the company." He laughed a bit, and then continued on. "The only people more important than Mr. McCarty and Mr. Cullen are the people. As Cullen Inc. likes to say." He gave another laugh, with a bit of a shake to his head. " All I could do was nod. "Any questions?" He asked me.

I scanned my brain. Of course, I only came up with one question. "What do you do?" Since we had been talking about who does what, I thought it was appropriate. Apparently, by his shocked expression, he did not get that question a lot.

"I'm the head of hiring, Ms. Swan." He spoke. "Not that important compared to your direct bosses, but you wouldn't be here without me." The way he said that startled me. Like, I owed him something.

I nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Newton. Can I just get to work, or…?" I asked him.

"I advise reporting to Mr. McCarty first, let him know you're here and then see what he would like you to do. He should be out of his meeting by now." He looked at his expensive Gucci watch, then back up to me. He smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. His eyes were dangerous though. I looked away, and instead searched for Emmett McCarty's office. I spotted his name on the door of an office to the left of me, next to Mr. Cullen's. I nodded and told him thank you. He wandered off into his own office on the other side of the room.

I looked around once more. There was a short blond girl walking toward her desk. She looked nice, and gave me a soft smile as she sad down at her desk. There was another much larger desk in front of Mr. Cullen's office. I assume she was the most important assistant in this room, Jessica Stanley. She was short, no taller than 5'1" and had dark brown hair, much like my own. Of course she was stunning, unlike me.

Mr. Cullen's office was the biggest, and the point of the whole floor. Everything surrounded his office. I thought this was weird; most CEO's have their own floor for their offices. Not Edward Cullen. No, he was down to earth as the newspapers and business magazines expressed. He was on the cover of them all. _Edward Cullen, worth another 12 Million!_ was the headline of the newspapers just this morning.

It was a good thing I had gone shopping prior to my first day. Everyone was wearing either and expensive suit, or some expensive blouse and skirt mix. I, on the other hand, wore knock off everything. My simple white blouse and black skirt were from JCPenney. No Chanel or Gucci over here. I smoothed my skirt, and in my black simple pumps, walked over to Mr. McCarty's office. I knocked on the door lightly.

"Come on in!" I heard this friendly voice. I opened the door. "Let me guess, Isabella?" The tall, muscular man said to me. He gave me a friendly smile. He was a giant, like a big teddy bear almost. You could tell he was a soft and gentle man by the look in his eyes. His hair was dark brown as well, with stunning blue eyes. He was quite the looker, but of course not my type.

"Yes sir, Mr. McCarty." I smiled at him. Everyone here seemed so beautiful and there was me; I was pale, with dark brown hair that cascaded down my frame in curls. I had chocolate brown eyes. Average, at best. I was 5'4", again just average. I was nothing special. I was beginning to feel like I didn't belong in this place staffed with a bunch of beautiful people.

"Mr. McCarty is my father, Isabella. Call me Emmett! Please!" He kept smiling.

"Um," I said. It was an awkward moment for me. Emmett didn't seem to mind, though. "Right. Well, is there anything you would like me to do? Mr. Newton suggested I come in and ask you but there's so much paper work on my desk I assumed I would do that first. I learned how to do most of everything at orientation last week." I said. I remember back to orientation last week. Three days, 8 hours each of boring lecturing. I remember I sat next to a gorgeous red head, with killer green eyes and legs to die for. I think her name was Victoria. I couldn't remember. She talked to me the whole time, saying she was so excited to work for Edward Cullen. She was hoping to get him into her grasp; she had a wild crush on him. I smiled politely through most of her rants to me about the amazing Edward Cullen. First it was how gorgeous he was, his thick bronze colored hair and his amazingly green eyes. Then it was how he seemed like an amazing guy, with this amazing personality who cared enough to donate heaps of money to children hospitals and volunteer at the homeless shelters and pet shelters. Of course all this was in the media, I wasn't sure half of it was even true. Lastly, by the end of the orientation, it was about how much money he had. I assumed this was her ultimate motive as to why she wants to get her claws into him. I could care less. I sat and learned what I needed to learn throughout orientation then when it was over, I parted ways with Victoria. She said she'd see me around the office. Although, I heard she was on the floor below mine. _Good._ I thought. I don't think I could handle working with her right next to me. I hadn't told her I would be working so closely with Mr. Cullen, and she assumed I wasn't. I could only imagine the shock on her face, finding out I would be in close quarters with him and his closest staff.

"Good old Newton!" Emmett said, and laughed whole heartily, pulling me out of my thoughts. I didn't know what was so funny, but I ignored it. "No, you are right. Doing your paperwork should be enough to keep you busy for today. I have a few meetings today, but tomorrow I'll have more for you to do." He smiled warmly at me. I couldn't help but smile back, he reminded me of a brother.

"Ok, that sounds good." I was about to turn around to leave but Emmett spoke again.

"Have you met the rest of the staff on this floor?" He asked.

"No." I shook my head. I wasn't sure I wanted to. I just wanted to work. Being an assistant wasn't my dream job, but it paid well. My dream initially was to go to school right here in Seattle, and then go into Journalism. But, when my father, Charlie, got sick I had to forgo college and help take care of him. My mom had run out on us when I was little so there was no hope there. After a year, I gave up going to college altogether. I worked at temp agencies mostly. Then I saw online about this assistant job. I applied and was surprised when I got an interview, and then another one. Finally I was being told I would be going to the company's orientation program and then be some big shot's assistant. What the company did, I had not a clue. I think it was a bunch of things. They made so much money; I didn't even want to know.

"Well, come on! I'll introduce you to some people before my next meeting. If you're going to be running around for me, I want you to know some of the important people, besides me of course." He laughed again and started to move towards the door. He opened it, then ushered me out.

I followed him to an office next to his; it read **JAMES REYNOLDS** and **SALES MANAGER** underneath it. Emmett opened up the glass door. Much like building, the majority of offices were glass. Not much privacy in this place. Except the CEO office, it was private and covered with wood walls and a wood door.

"James," Emmett said. James Reynolds was in his chair, on the phone. He looked up to me. He did a once over and then spoke into the phone.

"David, I'll call you back. Yep. Uh-huh. Ok. Bye." He hung up the phone and then looked back up at us. "What's up Emmett?"

"Just wanted you to meet my new assistant, Isabella. She'll be spending time with you!" Emmett answered, with a little laugh.

"Isabella Swan." I spoke up, offering my hand to Mr. Reynolds. He took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Hello. I'm James Reynolds. Call me James, Mr. Reynolds's is my father." Hmmm. This seemed to be a theme around the office.

I nodded and smiled politely. Emmett and James exchange a few words, talking about some business while I looked around the office. It was large, and white, like Emmett's. There was a tall bookshelf in the corner and a long desk that wrapped around in an L shape. Some simple paintings were hung up, and there was a few frames holding what I could only assume to be college degrees. The desk was cluttered with papers and folders, a few frames of some dogs, a silver laptop that matched the one on my desk, and there was an iPad.

"I'll stop by later, James. We need to set up that golfing trip!" Emmett said as we were leaving James' office. "James is a good guy," Emmett said to me. I just nodded. "The only other person I do business with directly in this building beside Mr. Cullen himself."

On that note, we ended up right in front of Mr. Cullen's office. Rather, his assistant's desk right next to the office doors.

"Hi, Emmett." Mr. Cullen's assistant greeted Emmett. She smiled at me, but didn't say anything.

"Jessica, is he in?" Emmett asked her and peered into a window of Mr. Cullen's office. The blinds were closed, though, so he couldn't see inside.

"He should be. Go on in." She smiled once more at Emmett and ushered him to the door.

I followed Emmett through a wooden door that read **EDWARD CULLEN** and **CEO** underneath. The office was beautiful. All white, again, and glass windows that overlooked Seattle. There were beautiful plants and paintings all over the giant room. A few doors that probably let to more beautiful rooms, and there was a desk on the right hand side. Bookshelves lined the wall that the door ran along. In the chair behind the desk was Edward Cullen himself. Of course he was beautiful, I had seen him in the paper a thousand times. But when Emmett introduced me to him, and he got out from behind his desk and come right up to me, I was surprised. He was a God. No doubt about that. Those beautiful green eyes had a hint of blue. They were captivating, like he could see into my soul. His brown hair was messy and had that tousled look.

He offered his hand and said hello. I couldn't speak. He smiled warmly at; he seemed amused I was star struck.

"Call me Edward." He spoke. I took his hand, and the moment our hands met I felt a rush of electricity go through my body. I abruptly looked up at him, into his eyes and I knew he felt it, too.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up, still on the love seat. It was beginning to get bright outside, so it must've been morning already. That meant I had to get up and go to work. I got up from the love seat, and made my way into my tiny bathroom to shower.

The bookstore wasn't all bad; it was named Rose Books after the owner Rosalie Hale. She was stunning, much like everyone was around me. She had these intense blue, almost violet eyes, long blond hair, and the perfect body. She was funny and had hopes and dreams that I admired. The bookstore was successful, for the most part but Rose's family was rich so it wasn't a big deal. I worked there mostly because Rose felt bad for me and had money to dole out.

The bookstore was small in size and had shelves upon shelves of mostly older books. That's why it was bringing in business; people wanted those older books that the big chains stopped selling. Some times when we were really slow I'd go to the little reading corner and read a book. Jane Austen was my favorite.

Once I was ready for work, I looked at the clock. 7:13. I had a little time for some breakfast. I grabbed the bag of bagels, and popped one into the toaster. As I waited for my bagel to be the perfect crispiness, I thought back to my dream last night. Then I shook my head in disgust. It was hard enough going through the days thinking about _him_ but to dream too…I was getting tired of it. I was tired of being sad, ashamed, humiliated, angry, the list went on.

I ate quickly, so I could have time to stop at the coffee shop along the way to the bookstore. If there were anything I couldn't live without it was coffee. Before leaving I looked at myself in the mirror I had placed by the front door. I had on a pair of jeans, the only ones that seemed to fit me now without completely falling off my hips, and a simple blue t-shirt. My eyes looked sad, and I hadn't bothered with makeup this morning. My hair I had given a quick comb through, which didn't do much. It was still a mane of brown hair. It reminded me of when _he _would bury his head in it, and kiss the top of my head. I pushed that thought aside and made my way to the coffee shop.

The coffee shop was cozy, what I loved about it. There weren't that many customers, as I saw but the shop still seemed to keep in business. I only ordered the same thing every time I came, an Americano with an extra shot and a pump of caramel. I had to get it to go this time; I didn't want to be late for work. I had been late yesterday after a grueling match with my hair straightener and I learned the hard way that my hair did not tolerate any sort of electric tool to be used on it.

I ordered my coffee, and when the barista gave me it in a to-go cup, I headed straight to work. Usually, I opened up the store for Rose but I could tell when I got there she already opened. I pushed the door open and walked in. I searched for Rose but I couldn't see her.

"Rose?" I called out. I heard some rummaging from the back and knew Rose was on her monthly cleaning spree, the kind she had when something bad happened. Usually, pertaining to her love life.

"Ugh, these damn stickers. You'd think the company would try to make your life a little easier but no! Of course, I'm sure it's run by a man so I can't blame them all for being so incredibly stupid. Seriously-" She was talking so much, and too fast I had to cut her off.

"Rose, calm down. It's ok. Give me those. I'll finish up." I offered to take the box of stickers from her. She handed them to me and put her face in her hands. "What's wrong?" I asked, placing the box on the counter and waited for her story.

"What's wrong," she began, "is that there are no decent guys left in this world. I mean, seriously. Who takes a girl to a bowling alley on their first date? _Bowling_!" She seemed horrified by the look on her face.

"That sounds fun, though." I offered back.

"Fun? _Fun_? Bella, do you know how many people have worn those disgusting bowling shoes? And not to mention how many fingers have been inside those bowling balls! I mean, seriously, a classy girl like me and he takes me _bowling_?" She shook her head at the memory.

"I take it the date didn't go too well with David?" It was the only thing I could say. Of course, I knew the answer before even talking with her. Rose had a long history of dating and an even longer history of dating the wrong guy. David was no exception.

"Ugh, it went horrible Bella. Seriously, it was the worst night of my life." She sighed, putting her face back into her hands. I walked over to her and put my arm around her shoulder, in attempt to comfort her. I had an idea.

"Rose, what are you doing next Saturday?" I asked her. She looked up at me, confused.

"Nothing, why?" She replied after a second.

"Well, I have to go to this…thing. You wanna come? It could be fun. Free drinks!" I tried to sell her on the idea of her coming with me to the Cullen's banquet. I wouldn't have to do much work; she loved those kinds of events. With her family being rich, she spent most of her life going to galas and art shows and whatever fancy rich things rich people do.

Her face light up instantly. It worked. "Oh, well sure!" She said. She smiled at me, got up and brushed the few tears that trickled down her face. "I mean, if you don't have a date." She added.

I snorted. "Like I would get a date." I rolled my eyes. And Rose just stared at me. She hated me being so negative on myself, but she was gorgeous she didn't know what it was like.  
She didn't say anything about my comment, but she did start asking what she should wear, who would be there, when it was, etc. I answered all her questions as best I could but my mind was wandering off to the dreadful image that would be that night. I could just imagine, everyone staring at me and pointing. Laughing at my humiliation. I knew with Rose there it would be a little bit more bearable. I still wish I didn't have to go, and that Alice was a more reasonable person but she was my best friend. I couldn't say no. Even in the short amount of time we've been friends, I couldn't bear hurting her or disappointing her in anyway. I started to get to work, my thoughts drifting off to when I had first met Alice Cullen.

"Bella, this is Alice, my sister." Edward politely said, introducing me to his sister. She was short, with a pixie haircut. She looked much like a pixie herself, with more elfish features than most. She smiled at me and instead of taking the hand I had offered out to her, she grabbed me into a bear hug. For such a small woman, she was pretty strong. I smiled when she let me go. I could only assume she was accepting my presence.

"Bella! I've heard so much about you!" Alice gushed. I looked up at Edward, he didn't look very happy.

"No, Alice, you have not. Bella is just Emmett's assistant." Edward told his little sister. His beautiful eyes had a dark color to them today. Our relationship had just started and I knew no one could find out. It was against the rules, and most of all Edward's family would never let him be with someone outside the prestigious friends that they surrounded themselves with. He could lose everything, because of me. I felt a knot in my stomach begin to form.

"Edward! Shh. It's something you say when you meet someone." Alice shot her brother a look. She was wearing a yellow sundress, it was May but it was a warm day for Seattle. She wore yellow strappy wedges to match her dress but she was still maybe 5'1". She was still beautiful, much like her gorgeous brother. I was trying to get used to all the beautiful people in my life.

"Alice, what are you even doing here?" Edward asked, obviously frustrated by his sisters sudden appearance at his office. We each had a few minutes to spare, and was trying to spend it with each other but Alice suddenly showed up. I had to pretend I was doing some work for Emmett so she wouldn't suspect anything. She had nearly caught me kissing him in his office when she barged in.

"I told you, I wanted to see my big brother at work!" She answered, rolling her eyes.

"I'm very busy, Alice. Don't you have something else to do? Or did mom send you?" He raised his eyebrows at her. He didn't talk much about his family, other than their rules for him and that he had Alice as his sister. I also learned Emmett was Edward's cousin.

"No, mom did not send me. She's not my keeper, Edward." Alice sat down on one of the chairs Edward had in his office. She felt the suede material of the arm. "These are nice." She commented.

I felt awkward being in there and there was obvious tension. "Um, I should get going. Emmett will probably want me to get him some lunch by this time." I said, checking my watch. It was already 1:23 pm. I didn't notice the time go by, I spent my morning fantasizing about when I could be with Edward next. Now, that time was ruined.

"Right, and you should get going, too, Alice. I have a meeting in a few minutes." Edward said, looking at Alice the whole time. I wasn't even acknowledged by him. I slipped out of the office, I heard Alice say something back to Edward but I didn't know what. I looked over at Jessica's desk. She was sitting there, her brown her bulled into a sophisticated bun, her short skirt barely covering her thighs and her blouse I had noticed was unbuttoned once. She had obviously done that since I had been in there. She looked up, giving me a fake smile. Surely she couldn't be threatened by me. Last I had heard she came from money, the kind that the Cullen's surrounded themselves with. She would be the kind of girl they'd want him with, the kind they would accept. I never let money get in the way of my life, it never meant anything to me, but at that moment I was jealous of this Jessica girl. She had it all, and soon I had no doubt she'd have what was mine. My Edward. I knew his life and hers all revolved around money. Something I did not have any of, nor did I want it. I couldn't stand in the way of Edward getting what he wanted though. The though made me sad, so instead I smiled back at Jessica and then started back to Emmett's office.

Before I had even walked five feet ahead, Alice was calling my name. "Bella! Wait up, I want to talk to you." I heard her say. I turned around. She was smiling genuinely at me. Her smile was beautiful; the same one shared by her adorable, sexy brother. I glanced over at Jessica as she was staring at me, obviously not happy that Edward's sister wanted to talk to _me_.

"Hi." I said, I tried smiling, but I was nervous she knew something was between her brother and I. I was scared, for him mostly. I knew my face was probably scary, forcing a smile out.

"What do you say to lunch tomorrow, you and me? I want to get to know you, I like you." She said. I frowned at her. Lunch? With Edward's sister? I don't think so. I was about to say no when she stopped me, "I'll clear it with Emmett. He owes me. Come on, my treat!" She urged. Clearly, she wasn't about to let me say no. I sighed, and nodded.

"Sure, where?" I gave in. She smiled an even bigger smile, if that was possible.

"Great! How about The Purple Café?"

"Ok." I said. I doubt I'd do much eating, the knots in my stomach were increasing and I just wanted to get out of this situation. I needed to throw myself in my work, or maybe Edward's arms.

"Perfect!" Alice nearly squealed. I gave her a weak smile and said goodbye. She told me she'd come find me tomorrow around 12:30 and then she was gone. I let out a sigh of relief.

I headed to Emmett's office, and the rest of the day went by quickly. My thoughts had mostly centered around Edward and then Alice.

**The next chapter will continue with Bella's lunch with Alice, and more details about Bella and Edward's love affair will follow shortly! Please comment/review. It's always much appreciated. Thank you **


	4. Chapter 4

I was dreading lunch with Alice. I had just gotten into work. I mad two to-go coffees for myself that morning because I only managed to get a measly 5 hours of sleep. I was too wound up the night before to even stay still in bed. I made myself tea, but that didn't do much except make me have to use the restroom a lot. I was sitting at my desk, Emmett was somewhere off in a meeting, which he usually was. I was trying to busy myself with paperwork but I couldn't concentrate, my mind kept drifting off to another planet it seemed, a planet where I went to lunch with Alice, and ruined Edward's life. I groaned in frustration. This was definitely not supposed to happen. I needed to clear my head. I grabbed a stack of papers and headed towards Edward's office.

Jessica was sitting there, staring at her computer and shuffling some papers. She was looking beautiful of course, in her black peplum dress. She looked up to me, she didn't smile instead just asked what I needed. This was her normal behavior, I knew she didn't like me and I wasn't particularly fond of her either but I always tried to be nice anyways.

"Is Mr. Cullen in? I have some paper work I need to look over and sign before Mr. McCarty returns from his meeting. I also have a lunch date so I'd like to see him before that." I was starting to ramble, I was nervous. "It's at twelve thirty and it's already twelve fifteen."

"I got it, Isabella. I don't think he wants any visitors right now." She was clearly annoyed by me.

"It's really important." I replied. I ignored the tone she had in her voice.

"I'll check, but I doubt he'll want to see you." She spoke and stood up. She was a striking 5'6" in her heels. They were most likely designer, but she kept them simple, with a plain cream color and closed toe. She headed into Edward's office. I stood there, with my stack of papers and waited. A few moments later she came out. "You can go in." She mumbled. I just smiled back politely and headed into his office.

"Hi." I said. He was standing by the window. He looked so handsome in his suit, it was a dark navy blue, and he wore a simple white button down shirt underneath and a pale yellow tie. He turned around and smiled at me, but the smile didn't touch his eyes.

"Hello, Bella." He spoke softly. Something was bothering him, but I knew he wouldn't tell me.

I tried a different approach, "Jessica really doesn't like me." I gave a little laugh.

He shook his head. "She doesn't know you, babe." He said.

I walked over to him. He was adorable. "That doesn't stop her from giving me dirty looks. I think she likes you." I put my hands around his neck. He looked down at me.

"Hmm." He closed his eyes and put his forehead against mine. "I'm quite smitten with someone else, though."

"And who would that be Mr. Cullen?" I teased.

"You." And then he kissed me. It was an earth-shattering kiss, like they usually were. He broke the kiss too soon for my liking. "What's up, Bella?" He asked.

"I'm nervous." I said, quietly. He gave me a confused look. "For my lunch with Alice." I added.

He nodded, and pursed his lips. "You don't have to go. I don't know why she invited you, for all she knows you're Emmett's assistant." He shook his head. I don't know why, but his words kind of hurt my feelings.

"Ouch." I said. I frowned and pulled back.

He put his hands on my waist and pulled me back into him. "Hey. I didn't say that's what you were to me." He kissed me. This time it lasted longer, it was more passionate than the last. As usual though, it ended too soon. I smiled at him. "It'll be fine." He finally said about my lunch with Alice.

I snorted. "Easy for you to say. I have all this pressure on me not to slip up about us and she intimidates me, like she can already tell what I'm going to do or say."

Edward just sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I looked at him in the eyes. His green eyes were sparkling. He was beautiful.

"It's my fault you're in this position. If it weren't for me, you'd just be Emmett's assistant and wouldn't have to worry about Alice. Or any of my problems for that matter." He looked sad. I put my hand on his cheek.

"No. I don't regret what we did. It was both of us. I wanted this. I want _you_," I said. I kissed him again. "It'll be fine. I'm just overreacting."

Before Edward could say anything, there was a knock on the door. I jumped out of his arms and grabbed the stack of papers I had brought with me. I smoothed my hair and put at least 2 feet between Edward and I before he said come in. It was Jessica. She looked at me quizzically but turned her attention back to Edward. "Hi, your sister is here? She said she's looking for Ms. Swan." She smiled at me, but I could see the venom in her eyes. On that note, Alice walked him.

"Thank you Jessica. That'll be all, Isabella and I have somewhere to be!" She said as she walked over to me. She grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the door.

"Alice, nice to see you too." Edward said behind us.

"Bye brother!" She yelled and continued her way out.

"Goodbye, Mr. Cullen." I said and we were gone. We stopped at my desk and I set down the papers I had been carrying and grabbed my purse and coat. I looked back briefly at Edward's office. He was standing at the entrance of his office talking to Jessica. She was laughing, flipping her hair, and grabbing his arm. I made a nasty face at her in my head. _That's my man_. I thought. He got my glance just for a moment and I swear it was electric. He looked back to Jessica and nodded to whatever she way saying. I looked up at Alice and told her I was ready.

We walked down to the car that was waiting for her outside. A man in a black suit come out of nowhere and opened up the door for us to get in. I climbed into the town car it was nice inside. Mostly black leather and there was a privacy glass. We drove in silence mostly, except for the occasional comment from Alice about the scenery. She was busy on her iPhone, probably gossiping with her friends. I wasn't sure what she did since she didn't want to be apart of her family business.

We had arrived at the Purple Café. It was simple yet elegant. There was a big, oval wine rack in the center with a circular staircase along the edge. We sat down at our table. Right away Alice ordered bruschetta, which I was not a big fan of. She also ordered a bottle Chardonnay. Right away we got the bruschetta and wine. I took a sip of my wine. I knew I shouldn't be drinking during the workday, but with Alice sitting in front of me talking about some trip she just took in Paris.

"It was amazing. I mean, I've been there before with my family but this time it was just…that much better. I could see everything I didn't get to see because someone didn't want to on the family trip. That's what I hate about family trips. I mean, Edward always got what he wanted which left me to basically not enjoying myself because we have total opposite tastes." She was saying, eating her bruschetta.

I nodded, I was flipping through the menu when the waiter came by. Alice just ordered a salad and a grilled chicken breast. I ordered the creamy basil pesto. It was then I realized I was starving.

I nodded along to Alice's various stories of where she went in Paris and what she saw. She was finishing talking about some boy she met at the Eiffel Tower. Go figure. Then she caught me off guard and asked, "So, how long have you been with my brother?" I looked up completely startled.

"I, um, I'm not with him. I'm Emmett's assistant and occasionally we cross paths but-" I started to explain, trying to fake my utter confusion.

"Isabella, come on. I'm not an idiot." She gave me this look. I couldn't lie to her, she already knew and I knew there was nothing I could say to make her think otherwise.

"How? You can't say anything to your parents. Please. He doesn't deserve what they'll do to him over me." I was starting to panic. I couldn't bear the thought of Edward losing everything over me. It wasn't right.

"Bella, I can call you Bella right?" She had a soft expression on her face. I just nodded. "Bella, it's not hard to figure out. I mean, the way he looks at you isn't a way he looks at anyone else. Only a fool would think he wasn't completely in love with you."

"But…He's not." Edward wasn't in love with me. Sure we had been 'dating' for a few months now but he couldn't possibly. He didn't end up with a girl like me. He ended up with someone like Jessica.  
"Oh come on. He so is. Anyways, of course I won't tell. If it's anything I hate, it's how my parents think they can dictate our lives. I wouldn't want that for my brother, to take away his right to marry or love who he wants. No. I won't tell Bella. I just wish he 'd told me. I knew the moment I walked into his office with you standing there. You see, the only person that Edward even lets into his office is his managers and that slutty little assistant he has running around for him. And the rare chance he does let someone else, let alone someone else's assistant, it's to fire him or her. He's very private and likes to deal with a limited amount of people." That was true. No one ever went into Edward's office except Jessica or Emmett. Or even James. But still, he couldn't possibly love me. I shook my head.

"It's just fun." I said. This was somewhat true. When the whole thing started, it was just for fun. It gradually got more serious but that didn't mean he loves me. I didn't know what it meant.

"You're ridiculous Bella. Anyway, you didn't answer my question Bella. How long?" She looked at me straight in the eye. I blushed.

"I started in June, and we got together at a Fourth of July party." I spoke softly. It was weird talking about my relationship with someone. Let alone Edward's sister. But it was nice, and a huge relief. I had been hiding this huge secret and I had no close friends to share it with.

"It's almost November. I can't believe he didn't tell me." She frowned. She seemed a little hurt but I didn't know why. As far as I knew, Edward and Alice weren't close.

"He didn't want your parents to find out. I mean, I know money isn't everything to him but he believes and loves this company so much that he doesn't want to lose it. Not over me at least." I said, trying to offer some explanation.  
"Oh, don't even. My brother doesn't do relationships, but when he does they mean something. And yes, you may be someone my mother wouldn't accept right away but he wouldn't give you up for his company. He's not stupid." Her tone was a bit annoyed.

"I didn't mean it like that Alice. I'm sorry." I apologized.

"I wouldn't have said anything to my parents, he knows that. I don't know. Anyways, that's so cute!" She suddenly perked up. She has some major mood swings, I noticed. "You two are just adorable together, I mean I barely saw you two standing next to each other but I can tell. A match mate in heaven." I started to blush again.

"I guess." I smiled. Our food came then, thankfully. As much as I was relieved to share my secret, I didn't want to go into details.

She seemed to have gotten the hint and started talking about her trip once again. This time she started with the boy she met in Greece; she had made a trip there for a weekend.

From then on, Alice came by the office a lot to take me to lunch. She didn't bring up my relationship with her brother much but she seemed to actually like me. I enjoyed her company and we started to do more than go to lunch. We met up for dinner, hit a nightclub, she took me to a wine tasting in Portland, and we even just hung out at my apartment or hers. She became my best friend, despite Edward's protests. Alice's lack of discipline and the fact that she was spontaneous and fun worried Edward to no end. Edward is structured and he thought I would run off and be crazy with Alice. But she was just like the other half to me. I enjoyed my time with her. I wasn't loud or crazy, I was shy and sheltered and she helped me see a world I wouldn't see without her. I loved her for that, and even now when the mess with Edward has happened she's still there for me.

**Thanks for reading guys! I promise in the next few chapters I'm going to start writing about Edward and Bella's relationship and how it started. This story is also about Bella and Alice's friendship. So hope you guys liked this chapter. I didn't want to go into too much detail about the lunch but review! Give me your guys' ideas and I'll definitely try to incorporate them. I love when my readers give me ideas. Much love! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm so sorry for taking so long, and I hope you like this version of chapter 5 better. I personally do. Just let me know in the comments!**

Edward and I didn't talk after I had first met him. Although, there was electricity whenever we would accidently touch (which only happened a few times when I needed him to sign something) and I'd occasionally catch him staring at me. I assumed it was because I lacked hair styling skills or I had something stuck to me. I had been here for a three weeks. I did paperwork, answered Emmett's phone calls and arranged his schedule. I would occasionally interact with James, who was nice, but maybe too nice. Mostly I tried to avoid embarrassing myself, or doing anything stupid such as developing feelings for the mysterious Edward Cullen. It was hard I admit. Although I hadn't actually spoken to him since my first day, I couldn't help but feel drawn to him. He was beautiful, and I just couldn't help but wonder what he was like under the pile of money he had. I finally got my chance.  
I had been sitting at my desk one day, fantasizing about his emerald eyes when I was pulled out of my reverie. Emmett was frantic. I was confused; I hadn't paid much attention the last couple days as my dreams of Edward had become more frequent. All I heard was Emmett say my name and practically run back into his office. Of course I got up immediately and followed him in. He seemed both scared and angry, with what though I had no clue.  
"Emmett, what's wrong?" I asked, I didn't know what to do in this sort of situation, they didn't prepare you for this in the orientation. Although, what can you do when your boss seems to be flying off the handle?  
"Listen Bella, I...got a little carried away with a client yesterday. We were out golfing. I have a competitive streak and I let it get the better of me." Emmett started to explain. He had this wild look in his eyes. "I got...lost in the moment. He was tantalizing me. He seemed to have a worse competitive side than I did. Anyways, he was saying I was a loser and whatnot. So, naturally I got into it. I may have beat him and said some things..." He was pacing around his office. I wasn't sure what he was so nervous about.  
"So? Isn't that what guys do?" I asked. I sat down in one of the leather chairs that were in front of his desk.  
"Yes, but not him. He doesn't like to lose. I let things get way out of hand and Edward is going to kill me."  
"Why?" I was still very confused.  
"Look, the client called in just a few moments ago, he said he was going to pull out of his deal. He said he had better offers. Of course I know he was pissed because of our golf game. I just can't believe I did this. This was the biggest deal we could've gotten. Edward has been looking forward to this for months now. I think this was the first thing he's been excited for in a very long time. And I screwed it up." Emmett finally sat down, only to bury his head in his hands. I couldn't help but feel sad for him. I got up and gave him an awkward hug.  
"Hey, it'll be ok. I'm sure you'll get your client back and at the very least Edward seems like a very understanding guy." I tried to reassure him but I wasn't sure how successful I was going to be.  
"I know he's understanding that's the problem. He'll say it's fine, and not to worry about it which will make it much worse!"  
I didn't know what to say so I walked over to the little mini-fridge that was in the corner of his office. I grabbed a water bottle, and an empty glass from the tray on top of the fridge and poured some water into the glass. I set it down in front of Emmett. "Drink this, and take some deep breaths. What can I do for you?" I asked. I felt very awkward and useless at this point in time.  
"Hold all my calls, finish whatever paperwork you can do and don't tell anyone of this. I need to fix this before Edward finds out. Actually, can you do me a favor? I have a bunch of paper work Edward needs to look at and sign. Could you bring it to him and wait for him to go over it? I can't do it right now; I'm not good at holding secrets. I trust you won't tell." He looked at me with these eyes that I just couldn't resist. He was in need of my help and surely I would do it. I was, however, very nervous to be in close counters with Edward. The god I had been fantasizing about for days.  
"Um, yeah. Sure." I said. He seemed to relax a little bit. He opened his filling cabinet and grabbed a very thick binder from it. He handed it over to me, and it felt quite heavy for a binder.  
"Just go to his office, he's expecting this. I know this is going to bore you to death, but these documents require a witness so you'll need to stay with him while he goes over them. It'll take a few hours. I'm so sorry Bella; if I hadn't made a mess of things I would do it. But I need to get this client back." He was so apologetic; it made me a little sad. I miss my happy Emmett. He was fun and like the brother I never had.  
"Of course, Emmett. Don't worry. Do what you need to and please don't hesitate to ask me for anything else." I said with a smile. I wanted to get this over with. A few hours though, alone with Edward? I wasn't sure how I felt. I could feel my heart rate pick up and my breathing get a little heavier. I was nervous and excited. I wasn't sure how this would go.  
I walked out of Emmett's office, binder in hand. I went to my desk first. I grabbed my purse and headed to the bathroom first.  
I looked at my face in the mirror. I had to calm down a little bit before going in there. I couldn't look like I just saw a ghost. I splashed some cold water on my face and then fished some blush and mascara from my purse. I applied the little amount of makeup I had. I needed to look somewhat like I didn't just roll out of bed. At that moment I wished I were like those beauties that I worked with. I wanted to be beautiful and like I was worth being with Edward. Only for a second though, because my conscious kicked back in. Don't be ridiculous, you don't need validation or to be anyone but you I thought to myself.  
I took a deep breath, grabbed my purse and headed back out. I dropped my bag off at my desk and picked up the binder and headed towards Edward's office. The walk seemed forever, even though it was only about 25 feet away. I stopped in front of Jessica's desk. I smiled at her, even though I could tell it was a weak one. I was definitely nervous.  
"I need to see Mr. Cullen." I explained. "But you know that otherwise I wouldn't be standing here," I laughed nervously.  
Jessica just gave me this look, like she couldn't believe how dumb I was being. Neither could I, though. "Um, yeah, sure. What for?" She asked.  
"I have these papers for him to look at and sign. Mr. McCarty has some stuff to do and sent me in his place. What a busy guy that is, it's really unfortunate for his personal life I'm sure." Rambling was an unfortunate trait I got from my dad in nervous situations and I couldn't help but blush.  
Jessica seemed just about as interested with me as I was with her. She picked up the phone, and asked him if he was busy. Usually she would make a big stink about going in to talk to him but today she did seem a bit off.  
"Go in." She said. She looked back into her work. She didn't even bother to glare at me. Hmm. She must be upset or something.  
I pushed the thought away and walked into Edward's office. It was still as beautiful as I remember. Those big windows had the best view in Seattle. It was breathtaking, or maybe that was Edward. I couldn't tell. He was standing by the window looking out. He looked incredibly handsome in his suit. It was very CEO like.  
"Hello." I spoke softly. I wasn't even sure he heard me. He didn't say anything for a moment until he finally turned around.  
"Hi there, Isabella." We hadn't spoke since that first day. His voice was velvet when he spoke. He had no expression on his face but when his eyes met mine I could see a small smile just for a second. "What can I help you with?" He asked. He closed the gap between us and he was standing right in front of me. Maybe a bit too close for comfort? I couldn't tell. I was in a daze, he had some hold over me and I didn't even know him.  
"Um," I croaked out. "I have this here for you to look at and sign. I was told I had to stay for it all?" I held up the binder to create a barrier between us.  
"Oh. Where is Emmett? Surely I can't waste hours for you to wait around for me. Don't you have important work to do?" He teased. Obviously whatever work he had to put on hold for this was more important than my work.  
"I don't mind." I said. It was true. I'd sit in his presence for however long if I could. "Is that so?" He mused to himself. He grabbed the binder from my hand. His finger grazed mine just for a second. There was that electricity again and I swear my heart skipped a beat. This wasn't me. I was never that girl who got caught up in that love stuff.  
He walked over to his big desk and I followed. The desk was made of dark wood. He had a few picture frames. I picked one up. It was of him and his father, Carlisle Cullen. I had seen pictures of him and read about him in the newspaper. He was retired now, I believe. He used to own this company. Edward had taken over and completely rebuilt it, if I remember correctly. His father was still a silent partner though, but mostly was traveling the world with his beautiful wife, Esme Cullen. I put the picture frame down and picked up another one. It was of him and some blond. I made a face. I don't know why it bothered me. Maybe because she was gorgeous and standing extremely close to Edward, I answered myself.  
He must have seen me make a face because he suddenly spoke, "that's Tanya." He said. I looked up at him. My brown eyes met his incredible green eyes. I was mesmerized. "She's an old family friend. She's practically family." He added.  
All I could manage in response was a nod. He chuckled, like he had a private joke going on in his head.  
"She's beautiful," I said when I could finally say something.  
"I prefer brunettes." He stared into my eyes and smiled darkly. It was like time had stopped. He had this magical effect on me. I couldn't quite get used to it.  
"That's a shame, I know a wild redhead who has a thing for you." I said as I put the picture frame back on his desk. There were a few others, I assume just more of his family. I looked around the room; I couldn't look Edward in the eyes. The magnetic pull between us was too strong.  
"I doubt she would be nearly as interesting as you." He said. He was sitting behind his desk now. I didn't know what to make of his playful flirting. He was my boss. I couldn't let him know that I had been dreaming about him. Of course, he was an extremely handsome CEO with a wealthy family that doesn't mingle with people outside their social class.  
"Mr. Cullen, I can assure you that the interesting person in this room is you." I said, finally allowing myself to meet his gaze. He was smiling. It was more of a half smile, but it was beautiful and it made me giggle. Wow, I'm just like a little schoolgirl this is ridiculous I thought to myself.  
My words were true, though. He was interesting. Everything about him drew me in. He was mysterious and I couldn't figure out why he was acting this way with me. I knew he was flirting, or maybe it was my imagination. But I've learned that he never talks to his employees, not even his own cousin Emmett about anything but business. I doubt any of them had the pleasure to be teased and flirted with.  
"Maybe, that's debatable Ms. Swan." His eyes shifted towards the windows. I went and sat down in the chairs in front of his desk. They matched the leather ones that were in Emmett's office. I crossed my legs and stared at him. He really was beautiful. His strong jaw and perfect nose were almost unreal; he couldn't be this breathtaking. Not to mention his bronze hair. It was one feature of his that reminded me he was young. It was always tousled, like he used his fingers as a comb. Not very CEO of him, but who am I to object? He was still perfect.  
I looked at the row of bookshelves he had, and walked over to them.  
"Read much?" I joked. I had to admit; even if they were dusty Edward had an incredible collection of books. This was only the first set of books shelves. He had another wall of them.  
"Not particularly any of these books. Most of these are my business books, random things. I'm really not quite sure what is on these shelves. I didn't put any there." He said. I looked back at him, with one hand on a book. "Do you read?" He asked.  
"I do, but not so much lately. Moving from one temp job to another doesn't give much time to just sit and read. Although I do love it." I said, going back to looking at the books. I walked to the end where the bookshelves met the wall of windows. I looked out. The view was amazing; I could just stand there and stare all day. I looked over to Edward at his desk. He was looking out still.  
"It's a beautiful view," I commented, although my view wasn't of Seattle.  
He looked over at me and gave a small smile. After a moment he said, "Yes you are." His response took me by surprise. I blushed and looked down at my hands.  
"Mr. Cullen, you shouldn't flirt with your employees." I said. I wandered back to his desk and took my seat again.  
"Are you going to report me?" He teased.  
"No, I'll keep this a secret." I smiled. "So, should we start with this paperwork?" I needed a distraction from this playful Edward. It was too much, too soon. I liked him. Way too much to ever admit and I couldn't let myself believe he was into me that way. Sure, flirting is one thing but I know the kind of girls he goes out with. I'm not them.  
"Sure," he said. He opened up the binder and a big stack of papers was inside. He sighed, gave me an apologetic smile and began to read.

Emmett wasn't lying when he said it would take hours. I didn't mind spending time with Edward. It was fun. We talked and laughed while he tried to review all the papers. I learned he had a sister, Alice. He liked to fish and go skiing in Colorado during the wintertime. He was very much into classical things, as was I.  
By the time we were done I knew a lot more about Edward Cullen than the newspapers and magazines provided.  
The only problem was that the more I knew about him, the more I liked him. He was fascinating and had a variety of hobbies and interests, a true man of wonder and adventure.  
"Thank you for keeping me company today, Bella." He said as he got up from his desk. "You're a real gem, and I thank you for the laughter today. It was much needed."  
I blushed and looked down at my hands, something I did often in his presence. "I should thank you, Mr. Cullen. You're fascinating." I looked up. He was staring into my eyes. It was intense. There was the energy between us, I couldn't explain. My breathing came to a stop as his eyes pierced mine.  
It was like he was looking into my soul. He closed the distance between and continued to stare into my eyes. I was frozen in the spot I was in. I couldn't look away from his stare.  
He didn't respond to my words, and I opened my mouth to say something. Maybe to stop from what I felt was going to happen but no words came out so I closed my mouth and continued to stare into his eyes. He leaned in closer, his face was right in front of mine now. I could feel his sweet breath on my face. It was slow and controlled. Mine, on the other hand, was erratic. I couldn't think straight. I didn't know what was right or wrong at this point. I just wanted him and as if he could read my mind he put his mouth right in front of mine. He was waiting for my permission. I looked into his eyes and leaned into him.  
When his lips met mine there were sparks. More like fireworks. I felt like I had been waiting my whole life for this moment and it was everything and more.  
The kiss was slow at first but he pulled me closer into him. I snaked my arms around his neck and the kiss grew more passionate. He parted his lips and his tongue seeks permission to enter my mouth and I let him.  
We stood in his office for what seemed like a lifetime just making out. It was amazing and hot. I wanted him right there in his office but I had to stop this before it got too far. I gently pulled away from him. I tried to catch up on breathing and he seemed to be doing the same.  
"I'm sorry." I breathed.  
He just looked at me. "I'm not." He spoke softly.  
He was breathing heavily and the electricity between us grew again as he just stared at me. Then he was kissing me again. It was more urgent this time. It was like he needed to kiss me. I didn't reject.  
His hands were on my hips and my body was crushed into him. His hands found the hem of my shirt and he slid them beneath it. He gestured me to lift my arms and I more than happily complied. We broke the kiss just for a moment as he lifted my shirt from my body. He started leading me backwards towards the big couch in the middle of the office. He gently laid me down on it while kissing me. He was on top of me, while he began to kiss along my jaw down to behind my ear. Then he was kissing my neck and there was not a moment I could clearly think. All I knew was I needed his lips. I needed him in that moment.  
My hands trailed down his back and un-tucked his shirt from his dress pants. I began to unbutton the front of the shirt, while his lips returned to mine. I slid his shirt off of him. He worked out, I could tell. His abs were hard as I ran my hands down them. He was beautiful.  
There was a moment that we shared, he looked into my eyes and I could swear I saw my future in them. We went back to kissing and I let myself get completely lost in him.  
That was how our love affair began; the affair that could cause him to lose everything he worked so hard for.

**Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think, and follow the story! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Edward and I were lying on the couch that we just…well started a very complicated relationship on, to put it one way. I was completely confused. Although I knew what we had just done, I wasn't sure what it meant. Having sex with the CEO of the company I'm just an assistant at wasn't exactly my plan. Sure, he was attractive and any other girl would probably go crazy from what had just happened. Although, any other girl would probably like him for his money, but that's the one thing I disliked about Edward.

His money, it was underneath that I liked. His passions, his personality, his love for his family all were apart of what made him spectacular to me. Unfortunately, I'm sure to him I wasn't anything special. I was some plain girl who went from temp job to temp job.

I was neither rich or beautiful, two things a man like CEO Edward Cullen would look for in a girl. I sighed, I was thinking too much, and I needed to get out of his office. I got up and started to put my clothes back on.

As I was pulling on my blouse, Edward reached up and put his hand on my arm. "Hey," he whispered, his voice velvet to my ears.

I turned and looked at him. He looked beautiful, his hair was tousled and he had a breathtaking smile on his face. He looked so peaceful in that moment. It was a rare sight, yet one I'd like to see a million times more just today. His eyes were usually filled with stress and sorrow. It was a nice change.

"Hi," I responded. I smiled, but even I knew it wasn't real. I wasn't sure of what to do at this point. Did I forget this ever happened? Did this mean something more than sex? A thousand questions ran through my head and it didn't help the way he was smiling at me.

"What's the rush?" He asked, but he started to put on his own clothes.

"Um," I mumbled. "I've been gone for quite some time. I think Emmett-I mean Mr. McCarty is expecting me back. As much as I'd love to stay, this is still the place we both work at."

"Yeah, sorry. I seem to have forgotten where we were." His smile fell a little.

I was fully dressed by then. I had no idea how I looked though, if I would be able to walk back out and pretend I didn't just sleep with the boss. I stood up, slipped my shoes on and walked over to get the paperwork I needed to return back to Emmett. When I reached Edward's desk, I felt him wrap his arms around my waist. He put his nose in my hair and kissed the top of my head. I felt tingles run through my body and butterflies flutter in my stomach. The things he made me feel were almost unreal. I wasn't the type to fall head over heals for a guy, especially not the one who was a millionaire and owned the company I worked for.

"Edward…"I said softly. All I heard in response was a low hum. "What did this…mean?" I asked. I regretted it instantly; I didn't think I wanted to know the answer.

His arms slipped away from me, I knew I shouldn't have asked. I ruined the moment. "Well, Bella…I'm not quite sure." He answered. I turned around, binder in hand.

"That's what I was afraid of." I said. I didn't dare look him in the eyes. I wasn't quite sure but I felt sad. Maybe a little used, but if I looked into his eyes I knew it would be too much.

"It's not like I didn't enjoy myself, or that I planned this. This is very unusual for me Bella. I don't…date really. Certainly not my employees." His response wounded me a bit.

"Ouch." I said, this time looking into his eyes.

He looked confused for a second, and then quickly recovered to an unreadable expression. "Bella, I didn't mean it like that. " He snapped.

"Sorry…" I whispered. I was getting upset, and I needed to leave. I weaved around him and started walking towards the door.

He followed me and when I got to the door I was about to open it before he put his hand to prevent me from doing so.

He put his hand on my cheek and pulled my face to look at him. "Hey, don't be sorry. I'm just as confused as you are. I don't want to spoil this, Bella. I like you, clearly. But I don't know what to do next. Lets take this slow please. Can I take you to dinner tonight?" He spoke softly. He looked into my eyes and I was lost, my knees going weak. I could only nod. Inside I was jumping up and down, excited he asked me out.

He smiled, like a schoolboy and leaned in to kiss me. It was soft and I melted into him. It was almost too perfect how well his lips molded to mine. He pulled away, and I groaned. I wanted to kiss him every second of everyday. He just laughed at me then kissed me on the top of my head and opened the door for me. I smiled at him, formally thanked him, and left his office.

I walked past Jessica, who didn't bother to glare at me as she usually did when I came into her view. I smiled at her and walked to my desk. It was already 4, having spent my whole afternoon in Edward's office. I hoped Emmett was in a better mood. I knocked on his door. I heard Emmett mumble something and I took that as my cue to go in.

"Hey, how are you doing? I have all that paperwork from Mr. Cullen." I said as I entered his office. I closed the door behind me. Emmett was sitting at his desk with his silver laptop in front of him and both his desk phone and his cellphone next to him. I could only assume he was waiting for his client he lost to call.

"Good, good." He mumbled, paying no attention to me. He was working hard on his laptop.

"So, did you figure it out with that client?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Um, no not yet." He mumbled, he barely was acknowledging me.

"Well, It's four so I'm going to leave all this paperwork with you and I'll finish what I can before I head out. Do you need anything, did you eat lunch?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah. That's fine Bella. I'm good I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" He said, yet again not even looking at me. I put the binder on his desk and stood there for a moment, waiting to see if he looks up. He didn't so I left his office.

I went back to my desk, and tried to get as much work done as I could. My mind however had other plans such as thinking about Edward and this past afternoon.

Once the clock hit five I packed up my things. I was going to stop by Edward's office but I had seen James go in there earlier so I decided against it. I did however text him before I left.

Message To: Edward

Hi Edward, I'm going home. What time did you want to go to dinner? Looking forward to this evening. Xoxo Bella.

I walked over to the elevator, waiting for a response from Edward. I was surprised to get such a fast response. I had barely even stepped into the elevator.

Message From: Edward

Hello, beautiful. I will pick you up at 7:30. I made reservations for 8. I'm also looking forward to this evening. E. Cullen.

I smiled. I suddenly became very nervous and excited for tonight. I'm not sure why, Edward and I had skipped a few steps so I shouldn't be nervous. Although, Edward always made me very nervous so it shouldn't surprise me.

The elevator had stopped on the floor below the one I worked in. To my surprise, Victoria stepped on. She was busy texting on her phone when she stepped in but when she looked up she looked surprised.

"Oh, hi Bella!" She said, immediately masking her confusion. "Were you on the top floor?" She asked, trying not to sound quizzical.

"Um, yes. I work there." I admitted. I felt smug now, although I could never admit I was involved with Edward.

"You do? Oh. Well, that's nice!" She said, smiling politely at me.

"Yeah, how are you liking your job?" I asked.

"I like it, thanks." She responded and I could hear the ice in her voice. I didn't really understand what I had done wrong but the smugness I felt only grew.

I smiled and nodded back. We rode in silence for the rest of the time down. When we hit the lobby, she smiled and waved at me, immediately calling someone on her cell phone. I only caught "you will _never_ guess who works on the top floor" when whoever she called picked up. _Not you_, I thought to myself.

I shook the thought and forgot about Victoria immediately. I began to worry about my dinner date with Edward once again.

Once I went home I began to raid my closet. I couldn't find anything I found appropriate to have dinner with a CEO.

"Ugh," I groaned in frustration. I wanted to look nice for him. I wished I was rich and beautiful and could just put whatever on and look amazing.

I sighed, and picked out the classiest dress I owned. It was a pale blue halter dress. It was simple yet classier than everything else. Probably the most expensive thing I owned.

I decided to take a shower since it was only 5:45. I had almost two hours to get ready. I took my time washing my hair and my body. It was nice to relax in the shower after a long day. I began to think about Edward even though I had tried to ignore thoughts of him before dinner. I thought about the carefree way he laughed and joked with me that afternoon. He had looked so beautiful and young. It was a nice change for me.

I dried my hair, while thinking about our first kiss. My body had lit up like a Fourth of July celebration. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. Of course I had dated before but there was nothing special about them. None of them had this effect on me. When I'm around Edward, I can't think. It was like the world stops spinning when he's around me. I couldn't explain it. I hated it as well because I wasn't this kind of girl. I couldn't complain though, I loved the way he made me feel.

I smiled. I was excited for dinner now. There was still very nervous, but I pushed that thought aside as much as I could. I focused all my energy on my hair. It was a disaster. I grabbed my comb and tried to comb out the tangles. I got my hair to look semi-decent after about ten minutes. I wanted to do something special with it, but decided against that horror endeavor.

I grabbed a bag that was under my sink that held the small amount of makeup I owned. I usually didn't wear makeup but I figured tonight was special. I applied a small amount of eyeliner and mascara and just a bit of blush to add some color to my pale face. I'm sure I wouldn't need it because I was almost always blushing when I was around Edward. I looked into the mirror and decided this was as good as it was going to get. I went back into my bedroom and slipped the dress on. I found some flats to match. I wasn't taking a bigger chance of making a fool out of myself with heels. I was clumsy enough with two left feet.

It was now twenty after seven. Edward had sent me a text message saying he would be there shortly. I was growing more nervous by the minute. He would be here soon and then I would officially be on a date with Edward Cullen, CEO of one of the biggest corporations.

My stomach turned to knots. I waited for him to arrive, and it felt like ten years rather than ten minutes. Right at 7:30 I heard a knock. _Wow, he's very punctual_ I thought. I stood up from the couch and smoothed my dress.

I opened the door and there he was, looking more beautiful than ever. I stopped breathing. He smiled as his eyes met mine. Oh, how he was beautiful. I couldn't get enough of it.

"Hello, Bella." He said, taking my hand in his own.

"Hi," I breathed out. It was all I could handle. There was that electricity and it made my heart skip a beat.

"You look absolutely stunning." He said and my smile only broadened.

"Thank you, you look very…incredible yourself." I said. He did, he was wearing black slacks and a light blue button down shirt that matched my dress. He wore a black blazer over it. His outfit was much more relaxed than it was when he was at work. It made him look…sexier, if that were possible.

He led me out of my apartment and stopped right outside my door. He took my face into his hands and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. When he pulled away he had a big smile on his face. I couldn't help but giggle, he was adorable.

"Come on," he said as he led me away from my apartment after locking up. There was waiting a black Volvo. I looked over at my pickup truck in comparison, although I wasn't sure why I thought we came from the same world. I shook my head and Edward opened the passenger door for me. I smiled as he helped me inside the car. He shut the door and walked gracefully around to the other side. It was as if he was walking on air with every perfect stride.

I wasn't sure if I would ever get used to this. He was so perfect and I was so…_me._ I pushed the thoughts away, I didn't want to ruin the evening already.

Edward put the car in drive and we headed off. I wasn't sure where we were going, probably some really fancy restaurant. I didn't bother to look along the way, I was too busy thinking in my own world until Edward spoke up.

"What are you thinking?" He asked. I looked over to him. He was looking at the road.

"Um, nothing. Wondering where you're taking me. Hopefully you're not kidnapping me." I teased.

"No, I think you'd come willingly," he teased back, smiling at me. "We're just going to this café. It's one of my favorite places downtown." A café? Didn't seem very CEO, but if Edward likes it I guess it can't be that bad.

We weaved through the traffic of downtown Seattle. Finally we pulled up to _Café Campagne_. I recognized it, I had drove past it a few times but I had never bothered to go in. It was a French restaurant. It seemed pretty casual yet I still felt out of place, probably because I was standing next to Edward. We got a table right away and the hostess seemed star struck by Edward. I couldn't blame her though he was gorgeous.

We sat down at a booth in the back. It was quiet and romantic. The waitress, also star struck, took our drink orders.  
"It's very nice in here." I commented. I allowed myself to look at him and my heart fluttered away.

"I agree, the food is delicious as well." Edward replied. Food was the last thing on my mind.

We talked, mostly about our interests as the evening went on. The food was of course delicious. The night was perfect. Edward was perfect. I knew I was completely under his spell now.

When we were done at the restaurant he was a complete gentleman. He took me home, and there was nothing more than a kiss goodnight. That night I had dreamt of Edward and it was the best nights sleep I had gotten in a long time.

**I hope you guys liked this chapter. I was going to go into detail about the dinner but decided not to this time. Give me some ideas if you have any and comment to let me know what you thought! Chapter 8 is on the way!**


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